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Tyler Cowen and his colleague Alex Tabarrok write some interesting posts over at Marginal Revolution. Sometimes I agree with them, sometimes I disagree with them. Recently, a post utterly perplexed me: “One doesn’t get a favorable impression of crypto from Number Go Up but in fact one doesn’t learn much about crypto at all. Indeed, Faux’s book isn’t really about crypto it’s about the rise and collapse of a bubble and the consequent madness of crowds.
Top clicks this week Why investors may regret earning 5% on cash. (allstarcharts.com) Investing is hard. Really hard. (awealthofcommonsense.com) What happens after a 20% up year for the stock market? (awealthofcommonsense.com) Should you care what Wall Street strategists have to say about 2024? (tker.co) The more room you can put between yourself and your investments, the better.
A reader asks if we could look at the participation rate for 25 to 64, as opposed to 25 to 54, since many people work until they receive Social Security and Medicare. First, the BLS provides seasonally adjusted data for the "Prime" working age group (25 to 54), but only NSA data for the 55 to 64 cohort. So, this makes tracking a larger Prime+ group more difficult.
Your financial statements hold powerful insights—but are you truly paying attention? Many finance professionals focus on the income statement while overlooking key signals hidden in the balance sheet and cash flow statement. Understanding these numbers can unlock smarter decision-making, uncover risks, and drive long-term success. Join David Worrell, accomplished CFO, finance expert, and author, for an engaging, nontraditional take on reading financial statements.
No, “ nearly half ” of $94.5 billion in retail inventory losses in 2021 was not “attributable to organized retail crime.” That line is just another in a long series of falsehoods put forth by the professional b *s at the National Retail Federation. Here’s Reuters : “The main lobbying group for U.S. retailers retracted its claim that “organized retail crime” accounted for nearly half of all inventory losses in 2021 after finding that incorrect data was used for its analysis.
Markets Some data matters more than others for the stock market. (theirrelevantinvestor.com) All the price trends are headed in the right direction. (capitalspectator.com) Global The FTSE 100 trades around 10x earnings. (economist.com) Why Japanese retail investors are notoriously equity-averse. (ft.com) Strategy Historically the stock market recovers to all-time highs, sometimes it just takes time.
Markets Some data matters more than others for the stock market. (theirrelevantinvestor.com) All the price trends are headed in the right direction. (capitalspectator.com) Global The FTSE 100 trades around 10x earnings. (economist.com) Why Japanese retail investors are notoriously equity-averse. (ft.com) Strategy Historically the stock market recovers to all-time highs, sometimes it just takes time.
On a monthly basis, retail sales were down 0.1% from October to November (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 4.1 percent from November 2022. From the Census Bureau report : Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for November 2023, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $705.7 billion, up 0.3 percent from the previous month , and up 4.1 percent above November 2022.
Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" - this week’s edition kicks off with the news that this week's round of public hearings on the Department of Labor's proposed new fiduciary rule featured fierce opposition from the brokerage and insurance industries – which, while unsurprising given those industries' stance against the DoL's previous fiduciary rule (which ultimately caused it to be struck down in court in 2018), nonetheless highlights the debat
Strategy There's a good chance you need to rebalance your portfolio. (morningstar.com) Bonds outperform bills leading up to a Fed rate cut. (carsongroup.com) Apple What's going on with Apple's ($AAPL) Vision Pro? (om.co) Apple ($AAPL) is adding a new Stolen Device Protection setting. (wsj.com) Companies Why Epic's win against Google ($GOOGL) matters.
As businesses increasingly adopt automation, finance leaders must navigate the delicate balance between technology and human expertise. This webinar explores the critical role of human oversight in accounts payable (AP) automation and how a people-centric approach can drive better financial performance. Join us for an insightful discussion on how integrating human expertise into automated workflows enhances decision-making, reduces fraud risks, strengthens vendor relationships, and accelerates R
From the BLS : The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.1 percent in November on a seasonally adjusted basis, after being unchanged in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 3.1 percent before seasonal adjustment. The index for shelter continued to rise in November , offsetting a decline in the gasoline index.
Although numerous tax-advantaged vehicles are available for retirement savings, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) have particular benefits for individuals saving for retirement. Specifically, HSAs offer a "Triple Tax Benefit" that includes tax-deductible contributions, tax-deferred growth, and tax-free withdrawals for qualified medical expenses. This can allow individuals to save a significant amount that can be withdrawn tax-free for medical expenses later in retirement.
Strategy Why do people still try to forecast a year ahead? (behaviouralinvestment.com) Stocks can hedge against inflation, but you still shouldn't hope for it. (morningstar.com) Finance $4 trillion of 'dry powder' for PE. Opportunity or threat? (ft.com) Citadel Investments had (another) good year. (bloomberg.com) ETFs ETFs continue to generate interest among advisers.
Based off SkyStem's popular e-Book, the book of secrets to the month-end close will be revealed in this one-hour webinar. Learn leading practices when it comes to building a strong and sustainable month-end close that has room to grow and evolve. Learn about the power of precise estimates, why reconciliations are critical to closing the books, how and when to automate, and how the chart of accounts play into your close process.
Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Part 2: Current State of the Housing Market; Overview for mid-December A brief excerpt: Yesterday, in Part 1: Current State of the Housing Market; Overview for mid-December I reviewed home inventory and sales. Other measures of house prices suggest prices will be up further YoY in the October Case-Shiller index.
Welcome back to the 363rd episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast! My guest on today's podcast is Christa Madison. Christa is the Managing Director of Financial Planning and Business Development at Sebold Capital, a fee-only RIA based in Chicago, Illinois, which manages $300M across more than 100 client households. What's unique about Christa, though, is how she used her business development and networking skills to overcome the challenges that sprung up when, through a combination of p
Markets Every major asset class, except commodities, is set for an up 2023. (capitalspectator.com) The drop in bond yields reversed a lot of market trends. (wsj.com) Crypto Coinbase ($COIN) is the 'last man standing' in the crypto space. (nytimes.com) Zeke Faux's "Number Go Up" isn't really a book about crypto. (marginalrevolution.com) Finance The mostly highly-rated sell-side analysts work hard.
Like being inches from the end zone, many advisors are frustratingly close to their next level of success. You work hard. You put in the hours. But if your closing rate is stuck or your pipeline feels like a revolving door… something has to change. Most advisors are just one small shift away from dramatically increasing their revenue. The difference?
From the Fed: Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization In November, industrial production increased 0.2 percent , and manufacturing output rose 0.3 percent. The increase in manufacturing output was more than accounted for by a 7.1 percent bounceback in motor vehicles and parts production following the resolution of strikes at several major automakers.
For most financial advisors, 2023 was a year of rebound and reinvestment, as markets bounced back from the turbulence of 2022, and expanded profit margins allowed advisory firms room to reinvest back into the services and value they're providing clients to make sure their retention stays strong in the future. Here at Kitces.com, we've similarly been in the midst of a reinvestment process in 2023, setting the foundation so that we can give even more back to the Financial Advicer community, as we
Crypto What's behind the resurgence in crypto prices? (marginalrevolution.com) The case for a (small) allocation to Bitcoin. (advisorperspectives.com) Why crypto is such an asymmetric bet. (rogersplanning.blogspot.com) Companies The story of innovation at Lululemon ($LULU). (readtrung.com) Why Jensen Huang was so crucial to the success of Nvidia ($NVDA).
Managing spend is more than a cost cutting exercise – it's a pathway to smarter decisions that unlock efficiency and drive growth. By understanding and refining the spending process, financial leaders can empower their organizations to achieve more with less. Explore the art of balancing financial control with operational growth. From uncovering hidden inefficiencies to designing workflows that scale your business, we’ll share strategies to align your organization’s spending with its strategic g
Realtor.com has monthly and weekly data on the existing home market. Here is their weekly report: Weekly Housing Trends View — Data Week Ending December 2, 2023 • Active inventory increased slightly, with for-sale homes 3.1% above year ago levels. Active listings exceeded last year’s levels again this week, with the rate of increase picking up steam from the previous week (+3.1% year-over-year vs +1.8%).
This week, we speak with investing legend Joel Tillinghast. He has been a mutual fund manager in the equity division at Fidelity Investments since the 1980s. Tillinghast launched Fidelity’s Low-Priced Stock (FLPSX) in 1989, and has trounced the averages ever since. Since inception, FLPSX has annually beaten the S&P 500 by over 3% and the Russell 2000 by over 4%.
Books A Q&A with Kelly and Zach Weinersmith co-authors of "A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?" (insidehook.com) An excerpt from "The Greatest Capitalist Who Ever Lived: Tom Watson Jr. and the Epic Story of How IBM Created the Digital Age" by Ralph Watson McElvenny and Marc Wortman.
Fraud is a battle that every organization must face – it’s no longer a question of “if” but “when.” Every organization is a potential target for fraud, and the finance department is often the bullseye. From cleverly disguised emails to fraudulent payment requests, the tactics of cybercriminals are advancing rapidly. Drawing insights from real-world cases and industry expertise, we’ll explore the vulnerabilities in your processes and how to fortify them effectively.
Altos reports that active single-family inventory was down 1.7% week-over-week and is now up 1.9% year-over-year. Inventory will decrease seasonally for next few weeks (for the Holidays). Click on graph for larger image. This inventory graph is courtesy of Altos Research. As of December 8th, inventory was at 546 thousand (7-day average), compared to 556 thousand the prior week.
At the Money: Mutual Funds vs. ETFs with Dave Nadig, Financial Futurist for Vetta Fi (December 13, 2023) What’s the best instrument for your investments? Mutual funds or ETFs? On today’s edition of At the Money, Barry Ritholtz speaks to Dave Nadig about the pros and cons of these two investment vehicles. Listen to find out which is right for you.
Rates Interest rates have peaked. (disciplinefunds.com) Why the stock and bond markets are actually in disagreement. (bloomberg.com) Charlie Munger Ten quotes from Charlie Munger including "Take a simple idea and take it seriously." (mastersinvest.com) Some more thoughts from the late Charlie Munger. (thefinancialbodyguard.com) Banks Citigroup ($C) has shuttered its municipal bond business.
Is your finance team bogged down by endless data requests and disorganized spreadsheets during the month-end close? It’s time to consider a better option – automate with ART! SkyStem’s solution works alongside your ERP to transform the close and account reconciliation process and speed up month-end work. Explore SkyStem’s ART - the award-winning account reconciliation automation platform - and receive a $100 Amazon gift card as a thank you for your time.
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